Her Smile
by Xiakoda
Summary: A story of Aika after the second fall of Soltis. Chapter IV
1. Chapter 1

**Her Smile**

By, Xiakoda

----.o.O.o.----

"Who is this that appears like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the sun, majestic as the stars in procession?" – **Song of Songs**, _6:10_

----.o.O.o.----

Chapter 1

It was over. The end had finally come when the final blow was given. The Lord Admiral Galcian was no more and Ramirez had been defeated. Valuan forces had retreated and the victors rejoiced for days. Soon, the reign of the newly crowned King Enrique and Queen Moegi would begin and the skies would once again be safe to sail. Except, of course, the occasional attacks from monsters, bandits and Black Pirates were still around. But, if you would put that all aside, everything was getting back to the peaceful era it once was long ago. When before the ancient civilizations threw their most precious treasure away. The most simple and beautiful treasure of peace and friendship. At least, that's the way that a certain redhead thought.

She was joyous of the final outcome of the trials and hardship her comrades and she had faced. Together they had overcome the odds and unified the skies. After all that they had been through, they endured and were made stronger than they once were. The countless fears this certain young woman faced…suddenly vanished from her mind.

Well...all apart from one.

The Rogue was scared to death about admitting her true feelings towards her Captain. Even though she went as far as kissing him the night before that decisive battle, which she still blames those darn bottles of loqua for, she could not face him. Thoughts of him frequently in her mind made her nervous of even looking at him for too long. The fear of rejection and the fear of ruining friendship between them haunted her. Her heart had fallen deeply and hopelessly in love.

Aika sat down on the cool paved ground with her back against their mighty flagpole, which stood high and proud on Crescent Isle. The flapping sound of their flag blended in with the soft laughter and occasional cheer made by the crew down by the tavern. Normally she would be down with the rest of the crew joining in with all the fun, but she wanted some time right now to be alone with her thoughts. And, of course, those thoughts were of Vyse.

A slight smirk crossed her face along with a shade of light shade of cherry as her mind thought back to that "loqua caused kiss".

She was quickly brought out of that vision of love with the sound of a large splash and mild cursing that followed it. The cursing suggested that Hans had accidentally pushed Marco into the decorative fountain that was located right in front of the tavern. After a slight pause of silence even more laughter echoed throughout the island.

A warm wind came to the isle and danced through Aika's hair which she had let down for the day. It was usually always braided for her convenience when she was in battle. But now was a time to relax. Plus Vyse always gave her a certain look that she liked when her hair was that way. Her face reheated once more and held a faint hint of pink.

Trying to get her mind off _certain_ things, she ran her fingers through her hair only to realize that it was a bit difficult to do so. Aika sighed. She would have to comb it yet again. Once again realizing that it was the main reason she didn't really like to let it down. All the knots and tangles she would get in her hair from the unceasing changing of the winds called for constant attention. With a withheld groan she got up and walked to her room.

The Pirate reached her door and gave a quick look over her left shoulder towards the Captain's room. She quickly shook her head of her earlier thoughts and went inside of her room and shut her door behind her. Taking in the aroma of her scented oils of jasmine she had left on her desk, she shut her eyes and let her mind relax. After a few seconds Aika slowly opened her eyes again and they settled on her very comfy bed.

"_A nap would be nice."_ She thought, but very quickly decided that those tangles just needed to go.

Aika walked to her wooden dresser and handled her mother's small black stone comb. It was her favorite. The spine of it held swirled etchings and at the tip of each one of them, held a brightly contrasting red moonstone fragment. Once again she looked towards her bed and as if silently betraying her judgment earlier, she sat down on her bed and deemed it a good place to detangle her hair.

Gently, she worked the comb through her soft, shinny locks removing them of their faults. She only slightly winced when she arrived at those oh-so-stubborn knots.

She set her comb down beside her when she was finally pleased with the results. Her mind drifted again, taking her eyes towards her light blue pillow.

Aika's eyes traced the small flower pattern and she lifted her hand towards it. Removing it from its' place and setting it aside as she refocused on the glimmer of green that lay underneath it. A little green moonstone carved into the shape of a lopsided heart. It was a gift she received from Vyse three years ago for staying by his side while he was sick. Her face softened with the memory.

_**Recollection**_

_Aika sat on a very uncomfortably stiff chair next to Vyse's bed at Pirate Isle. He had developed a high fever which grew worse every day. She spent the time usually singing to him or describing to him; one of her extremely exaggerated and amusing stories while cooling his head with a damp cloth. It went on for days as well as her welcomed company. During all that time she spent together with him, she never once left his side, not even to go home or on raids. It was then that she really fell in love with him. The small smiles she received from him kept her drawn to him. Those feelings she was experiencing from the glances he stole from her sparked her heart. She realized that she was growing up and so was he._

_Vyse eventually became better and things went on again as they used to be. The random raids and practicing of their weapons as well as the occasional mischief they seemed to always find themselves in involving Captain Dyne's favorite looted goods._

_During this time, Vyse decided that he wanted to give something to his best friend to thank her for being there for him while he was in need. The thinking process to just what he was going to get for her took a while but he finally thought of an idea and set off to work. When he was finished preparing his gift he immediately set off to find Aika._

_"Aika?" Vyse hesitantly spoke up while hiding his hands behind his back. _

_"Yeah? What's up?" She slightly arched her eyebrow._

_He became nervous when her bright, curious eyes met his."Umm, I wanted to...give you something. Err...here ya go." _

_He held out his and palm up with the green object lying on top of it. She gave a small but bright laugh of delight at the gift and immediately took it into her hands, all while Vyse gave the goofiest expression of satisfaction ever seen as far as the skies would go. He waited with a smug grin to see what she thought about the "BEST GIFT IN THE WORLD!" _

_"Oh, Vyse! I love it! It's such a cute little puppy!" _

_"..."_ _"Aika...It's not a puppy." _

_"I...uh...well, of course it's not!" She immediately turned it upside down. "It's a monkey!" _

_"...No." _

_Turning it sideways she asked, "A bird?" _

_"No." _

_"Is it some type of exotic nut?" She asked with a confused look on her face._

_"Tch, NO! It's a heart! I made it for you out of that green moonstone we found the other day, and I happen to think that it's a very good heart if I say so myself, thankyouverymuch!" He quickly spun around and turned his nose up in the air. Certainly his fine craftsmanship was not appreciated in his Lunar Era. Just like all the greatest artists were unacknowledged before him._

_"Vyse?" Aika softy spoke._

_"...Yeah?" He slightly turned his head towards her._

_"Thank you so much!" She squealed. "I've never gotten anything like this before. And it means a whole lot more that you made it for me! Thank you...Vyse." her eyes misted over and she looked like she wanted a hug. _

_Vyse wasted no time and took her into his embrace. The short friendly hug that they shared lasted a little longer than it should have. But neither of them seemed to really care. Vyse liked the way she felt in his arms. And Aika didn't seem like she wanted to let go any time soon. They stayed that way for quite a while. He slowly ran his fingers through her hair which caused her loose braids to come undone while taking in the lovely scent it had. He soon then realized what he was doing with his "Best Friend" and froze immediately. Aika's eyes shot open at the exact same time and they both gasped. They quickly let go of each other and both had brilliant shades of scarlet stained across their faces. They became so shy towards the other at that moment and didn't know what to say. Both just smiled at each other and went about their own usual things for the day._

**Recollection Ending**

That memory always warmed Aika's heart. Although they never spoke of that moment again, the emerald colored heart-shaped moonstone always remained under her pillow.

The redhead came to her senses and realized that she had been drifting again. She seemed to be doing that a lot more as of late.

"What a silly girl I am", she thought. She ran her fingers though her hair and once again imagined that Vyse was running his fingers through it in that loving embrace. The warmth in her heart started to turn cold when she realized that all she had of him in that way were memories alone. And, she added, that that was all that she would have. Her heart tightened.

"Moons! What's wrong with me?" she exclaimed as she began to hit herself on the head with her hands.

"You've gone mad." Spoke a soft voice.

"…_God?"_ She thought with a bit of fear with her hands frozen in the air while she slowly cracked one eye open only to land on the worried face of Fina. Letting out a sigh of relief that a higher being wasn't pouring its divine judgment on her, she noticed that the Silvite looked like she was about to begin summoning her power to cast the spell of Curia on her supposedly "crazy" friend.

"_Well, maybe she isn't too mistaken at this point."_ The red-headed Pirate admitted to herself.

"Wait. I'm alright, Fina…just a little frustrated." She grinned.

"I still have much to learn about your ways. I did not know that one was to repeatedly hit themselves silly to drive frustration away." The Silvite said with a thoughtful look.

"Uh, yeah." Her smile widened more. "If you hit hard enough…all the memories just fade away." She joked and stuck her tongue out.

"Oh."

"Wait…never mind." Aika added when she realized that the poor girl thought she was serious.

Fina decided to put away the odd thoughts that she had and decided to think about them later. She already knew that her dearest friend was frustrated and that needed more attention now.

"What is troubling you, Aika?" She asked her with concern.

Aika gave a small smile. It was just like Fina to always want to help out when she could. The loving heart she carried was great. She always knew this is why just about every man on this Isle looked at her in such a way that would make every other woman jealous. That, and that she was more beautiful and ladylike than any of them could ever dream to be. Well, everyone except Urala and Moegi…but they already had Hans and Enrique as their husbands...so they didn't count. It's just that being like them wasn't very Pirate-like, which happened to be what Aika was; A Vice-Captain, a Blue Rogue Pirate.

"_No wonder she even caught the eye of her Captain."_ Her subconscious hinted towards her.

Yes, who would not help but fall in love with Fina! Aika's heart tumbled. She had felt Vyse's eyes slowly stray away from her and towards her beloved friend through their journey together. It pained her but she still held onto that hope that he would once again give that attention back towards her. Perhaps, that kiss she gave him wasn't so influenced in that manner that she always stated it was at all.

Aika inwardly sighed and spoke to her friend, "Nothing, really. I just…well, I want something. Something that I don't think I can have. And I just don't know what to do about it. It's driving me a bit insane because I can't do anything but think about hi-...it." she fumbled a bit at the end but quickly recovered without raising any suspicion from her Silvite companion.

Fina gave Aika's situation bit of deep thought as she tried to figure out a solution to her problem. After a minute she looked like some familiarization came across her face and smiled. The Silvite looked towards her friend and said, "Well, you can't just dwell on these things. I think the only thing you can do to fix this is…to just take it."

"Wha?" was Aika's confused reply. "_Since when did Fina give out such blunt advice?"_ She thought.

"Well, we are Pirates, right? We take what we want…is that not true?" She still was giving that same smile.

"Wha?" was the same confused reply that Aika gave. "Fina? When did you become so bold? I think you're the one that's gone mad now!"

The blonde girl blushed, "You told me, once, after we had given Ramirez his final release into the skies, that I was now a Blue Rogue…and that we would be Pirates from then on together. And I know from what I have learned from both you and Vyse that this is how Pirates are. So, why should you worry about trying to take something you think you cannot attain? That does not seem like the Aika I know." Fina finished with an authentic look on her face. She was being honest and Aika could tell.

Aika thought on this little statement that Fina had presented to her. She thought about the possibility that could be carried on with that view. Still, the constant nagging feeling that it wouldn't work kept itself apparent.

"_He is my Captain, and I am his Second."_ Aika reasoned with herself. _"Should I even dare to ruin what we have now on the chance that we...could be…" _she trailed off in her head. The battle began inside of her. Not knowing what she would decide but inwardly knew the answer. Every moment she thought that Vyse was out of her reach…she died inside. The frown grew greater on her face all the more she thought of it. She then knew that her friend was right. Aika looked at her Fina who had watched her with apprehension as always when she got this way. There wasn't any need to make the poor girl worry.

Aika gave a genuine smile towards Fina. Everything did seem clearer in this sense. Moons, she WAS a Pirate! And why wouldn't the same rules apply now as they did all other times? Well, it wasn't like she was going to rope Vyse up and carry him off into the sunset all to herself. This would just mean that she would confess her love towards him and well, that's all she realized she could do.

"_Confess myself…to him."_ She was a bit distressed about it. If it was a big, slimy and scary monster, she could handle it. But if it was a man dressed in blue with a glass eye patch named Vyse…well, then, THAT was a different story.

"I guess I can't have it any other way, then." She finally spoke.

Fina's eyes grew happy as she felt the weight on her friend's shoulders suddenly disappear. Soon after, she excused herself to let Aika back to what she was doing before she first heard the disturbance outside. Once she left the Rogue smiled to herself with her decision.

Right then, she decided that tonight was the night. She would go to him and tell him how she felt. Reveal it all to him. Tonight, she would tell him that she was in love.

----.o.O.o.----

Author's Ending Note – Hn. I decided to re-write the whole thing again. It's my story and I can do what I want to. AH! Please don't hate me for it! I lav joo. I seriously am serious this time about continuing and **finishing** this fic. See. I am ahead of what I had before!

Once again…LOVE ME! The Loopers demand it!

----.o.O.o.----


	2. Chapter 2

**Her Smile**

By, Xiakoda

----.o.O.o.----

"You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold. You say you want your story to remain untold. Your love not to grow cold. All the promises we make, from the cradle to the grave. When all I want is you." – **U2**, _All I Want Is You_

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Chapter 2

The Meeting Room was always a relaxing place to be in. It seemed that only the sounds of nature would make their way through the thick wooden door. Light playfully danced through the windows and filled the inside with a peaceful glow. It was truly a room filled with serenity…that is, except for the random muttered words of frustration that came from the mountain of papers and books stacked in one far corner of the room.

"Argh! Where is it? I need that map!" Vyse grumbled angrily to himself.

Ah, yes, there he was, the "Legendary" Blue Rogue Captain. The very pirate that in fact proved himself to be the king of all the skies. There he was, on his hands and knees, searching frantically through hundreds of charts and diagrams. It was quite a sight to see.

"I know it has to be here somewhere. It has to be! Please moons…I promise to be the best Captain I can be, just help me find it! Argh, I couldn't have left it anywhere else...could I?" Vyse questioned himself while almost ripping apart the documents he currently held in his hands.

He quickly sat up, closed his eyes, and searched through his memories for this very important map. A dawning look appeared on his face as he remembered the scattered papers that were still lying on the floor of his old room back on Pirate Isle. He never did get to cleaning up his room after all. The papers he held almost disintegrated with the flames of anger he currently had.

"SON OF A..!"

"Vyse?" a soft voice chirped up in question.

He quickly turned around and his eyes fell upon Fina. The Captain's face turned a slight shade of pink realizing that he almost cursed to the highest heavens right in front of his Silvite friend. She was, after all, a very gentle person. You just couldn't go around saying those things around a lady like her.

Dumbstruck, he managed to blurt out a quick "Hey! Fina...how's it going?" as some sort of gloss over.

The Silvite's worried eyes immediately changed to a much happier and calm state.

"Everyone outside heard the racquet you were making and I decided to come up and check if you were okay."

"Is that so…" Vyse replied.

He stood up and scratched the back of his head with a huge goofy grin plastered on his face. He was clearly embarrassed.

"So, um...what exactly where you doing on the floor, if I may ask?" questioned Fina. She noticed the mess he had made and saw that one of his boots somehow ended up on top of the paper pyramid he had created. Were all of her friends turning mad today? First Aika and now Vyse!

"Oh, I was just looking for something. But it's back on Pirate Isle." He then began to clean up the mess that he made, noticing that his boot was sitting proudly as the king of the mountain. He quickly grabbed it and put it back on his foot.

'_Gee...might as well start to get used to cleaning up for a change.'_ Vyse told himself with a slight hint of loathing.

Fina wasted no time in helping Vyse out with his mess. After everything was off the floor and in order, she stood off to the side and became quite still. After a moment of awkward silence, she spoke nervously.

"Umm, Vyse, I...I wanted to talk to you for quite some time now. Do you mind?"

"Uh, sure, Fina." He said while dusting himself off. "I'm your Captain, if you have a problem; I'll try as hard as I can to help you fix it." He smiled.

Her nervousness remained. "Okay, well... I..." she began with a bit of hesitation.

- - - -

Aika practically jumped out from her room with a bright smile that radiated through the entire island. She was finally going to tell Vyse that she had some hidden feelings for him and wanted to share them. Well, he probably already knew since she kissed him before and all, but she just had to get it out into the open. She couldn't wait! The red head walked the short distance from her door to his with a bounce in her step. She then opened the door to his room and popped her head in.

"Vyse?" she chirped into the empty room.

"Oh, guess he's not here, no worries. He's probably up in the Meeting Room...he did say he needed to find a map for some reason. I hope he doesn't notice that I doodled on the back of one of them." She said to herself with a giggle.

The young rogue shut his door, turned on her heels and almost flew down the steps which almost made her fall flat on her face, but luckily, Pinta broke her tumble with a yelp.

A minor accident wouldn't stop her in her tracks! She quickly rose to her feet and continued on her mission towards the meeting room. Leaving Pinta to himself wondering what in the Moons just happened? No stairs or young children would bring her down!

"I should really watch were I'm going." She admitted to herself as she pushed the button to start the lift up to the room. Her enthusiasm stayed with her as she neared the door. Actually opening it would be a bit different. She put her hand on the knob and immediately froze in place. Of course, tripping and falling couldn't stop her, but opening a door was just too damned hard.

"Eep, I can't move...what's wrong with me? Did somebody cast a spell on me or something? Ohhh, I'm really nervous. I want to tell him…but what if he doesn't feel the same way? Oh, what a great time to decide to now think on this. I have failed at life once again. Argh, I can't chicken out now though..."

- - - -

"Well... I... wanted to thank you for letting me stay with you all this time. It was not the easiest thing to go through, I am sure. You could have given up on me the first day we met if you chose to, but you did not. I am deeply grateful for all that you have done for me. I lost all that I knew before, but now, you have given me a place to call home." She said with a slowly forming smile.

The Captain smiled with joy. His friends meant so much to him. As long as his companions were happy, nothing could bring him down. Aika and Fina meant the world to him. Never, would he want either of them to be upset.

Fina continued, "Also, I wanted to tell you that, um...I, I am leaving...Vyse."

The Legendary Blue Rogue almost shrieked with shock. He definitely wasn't expecting THAT. The two of them shared another awkward moment of silence...but this time it seemed to last about a couple hours. The two just stood there not knowing what to say or do.

Fina was the first one to break the silence. She explained that she wanted to go to Valua and help with the rebuilding of the tragic kingdom. Feeling responsible for the causing of the Rains of Destruction, she wanted to help out as much as she could, as a sort of atonement for the extreme actions her people took. Seeing that Vyse's expression did not change, she stated that she would, indeed, visit from time to time.

Vyse then understood that she would not change her mind. He would miss her company deeply but he knew if he made her stay that her guilt would grow with each day that passed. He agreed to her decision and gave her his blessing.

"Just remember to come back as often as possible. Everyone will miss you here. Especially Aika." Vyse said.

"Yes, sir." she replied softly and sadly. She had her own inner turmoil about this ever since the newly crowned King Enrique and Queen Moegi left their positions with the Blue Rogues and headed back to their crumbling kingdom. Oh how she wished that day to leave with them to help them start anew. But she could not help but worry about leaving Vyse and Aika. But now, at least one of them knew and approved. This gave her courage to break the news to her other friend. The very one who took her under her wing from the start, her best friend, Aika.

Vyse pulled the Silvite into his arms and gave her a warm embrace. He loosened his grip to end the friendly gesture when she suddenly leaned forward and placed her lips upon his. It was a kiss that would change everything between the three friends.

- - - -

"Okay Aika-baby, you can do this!" the red head thought aloud to herself. She needed some type of driving force to keep her from falling back.

Aika looked down at her opened hand and gently touched the small moonstone she had brought with her. This was her strength and motivation to go on. Her famed smile came back in full force and she finally convinced herself that nothing could go wrong. Aika opened the door only to reveal her love kissing another.

That day, the light faded away with her smile, and the skies shattered into ten-thousand pieces.

----.o.O.o.----

Author's Ending Note – Bwah! Look another chapter! LOVE ME!

----.o.O.o.----


	3. Chapter 3

**Her Smile**

By, Xiakoda

----.o.O.o.----

"Where should I go? What should I do? I don't understand what you want for me. Cause I don't know if I can trust you. All of the things you said to me. And I may never know the answer to this endless mystery." – **Hoobastank**, _Out of Control_

----.o.O.o.----

Chapter 3

"_Where am I?_" he thought as he stirred from his slumber. "_Am I…am I still alive?_"

He slowly opened his eyes to find his surroundings and what had become of him. Darkness is all that welcomed his vision. He could not tell if his eyes were open, shut, or even blind. The man tried to lift his hand towards his face only to find that his body would not respond. He could not move at all and may have as well lost his sight. A feeling of hopelessness surrounded him in a never ending place of nothingness. He tried calming himself to try to listen for any type of sound that might give him at least an idea of where he was. Silence. Not even the sound of his heartbeat was heard. Disturbed by this, he tried yelling out for someone…anyone. Nothing. Had his ears betrayed him as well?

He took in a breath of cold muddy tasting air through his sore throat. At least not all his senses had left him. Although, with the frigid icy temperature he felt and the wave of fatigue that hit him…he definitely wished he had. Was this hell? He thought to himself over and over. Could this be the "after life" he had heard about long ago? There were tales of two places for those who had passed on. An ascension and a descending point for all living beings, depending on how they lived out their lives. Could he possibly have journeyed to one of these?

Millions of thoughts lingered in his mind for what seemed like weeks. All hope he held for ever moving away from his purgatory had vanished. He decided that he would carry on this pathetic existence forever. Possibly a punishment for all the lives he had taken with the Rains of Destruction.

The Rains of Destruction.

That was one thing he had not thought of in a while. The time he was driven mad enough to call upon that horrid event to take place. It was suddenly clear and vivid in his mind. He could see it all. The Yellow Moon seemed to scream in agony as it released itself onto the innocent and not so innocent that basked in its light below. He saw the fire and strength of it. He could even feel the screams of women and children crushed by the power of it.

He wanted to hear no more of this! But it would not cease. Oh how he wished for this feeling he now felt to leave. The guilt that he bore was so great. Over and over he chanted in his head to try to persuade the images to go away.

"…_stop…stop…stop…Stop…Stop…Stop…STOP!"_

Then, he felt his heart beat.

He choked on a gasp of air when he felt the blood course through his veins. This only intensified the coldness that surrounded him. It was as though his very skin was made of ice.

He cursed inwardly at the situation he was in until something caught his attention. A faint light began to cut through the shadows. Delicate warmth came with this light, his eyes wide open and gladly accepting the change of scenery. He starred at the somehow familiar light in hopes that it would be rid him of this hell. A voice was suddenly heard. It was neither male nor female. It spoke with a long drawn out whisper.

"Ramirez.", it said. "You, which have cast down the light of the Silver Moon in a most vile way. Although you had been divinely judged to decay in hell, your essence has been kept away from fully being thrown into its depths. Because of this, We cannot hold you here any longer than you already have been. With the passing of the Lunar Cycle you will return to the skies once more. Consider this your…second chance."

"Second chance?" He said in a confused tone which startled even him because he had not heard his own voice in such a long time. "W-what do you mean by this?! Returned to the skies?!" he yelled.

The dim light around him grew brighter which revealed him as he was. Lying on his side, his thin, pale, naked body was half sunken into what seemed to be a black and thick muddy-like substance. Ramirez's face was worn. The piercing bright green eyes he once had wore a more subdued, faded, lifeless color. His platinum locks of hair were matted into the mud and looked like they had been stained to a dirty brown color. He appeared tired, starved and basically gave the impression of hell to be nicer.

The light grew still, and to the point that it was too painstakingly bright for his eyes to handle. He shut them as hard as he could…which pushed his head even further into the mud. Suddenly, a soft voice came…a female voice. She spoke so gently that he could hardly make out the words. Somehow he recognized it. But from where, he did not know.

"Rami…fly…to…eem…the sky…ot….ny…self."

As quickly as he heard the calming voice, it vanished. And with it, so did the light.

---.o.O.o.---

Author's Ending Note – I'm sorry this chapter is so short. It's just how it came out. It takes up two pages in Microsoft Word! I swear! I tried to squeeze more in there, but I just can't! I didn't want to reveal too much and make this that much MORE of a crappy story.

---.o.O.o.---


	4. Chapter 4

**Her Smile**

By, Xiakoda

----.o.O.o.----

"I kissed your mouth your back. Is that all you need? Don't drag my love around, volcanoes melt me down. What I am to you is not real. What I am to you, you do not need. What I am to you is not what you mean to me. You give me miles and miles of mountains and I'll ask for the sea." – **Damien Rice**, _Volcano_

----.o.O.o.----

Chapter 4

The 'couple' inside the meeting room instantly pulled away from each other with wide eyes towards the silhouette that was framed by a soft but bright light. A gasp escaped Fina's lips when she finally realized that it was Aika looking in from the doorway. Regret and shame instantly filled her soul. She had only wanted to steal a kiss from Vyse without anyone else knowing before her time came to leave. Inside she knew that she had betrayed her best friend. Fina quickly turned away from the red-head and her mind raced with thousands of demeaning words all towards herself.

Then there was the Captain, who was completely frozen in shock. It was as if his heart, lungs and mind stopped at the same moment. How did all this happen? Was this some type of sick joke that the Moons were playing on him? He had defiantly not expected Fina to kiss him. And even more...for Aika to witness it! He frantically forced himself to search for something to say, something to make things better than they appeared to be…but his mind went blank and his lips denied him any movement whatsoever. All that he could do was stand there frigidly and look into those once bright and colorful eyes that he once knew. Those eyes were now covered in a glass-like sheen that held no emotion behind them. The smile that once accompanied them was now gone and her lips were slightly parted as if she were yearning to ask, 'Why?'

The Vice Captain's hand fell towards her side and a soft tap against the wooden boards beneath her was heard. She quickly turned on her heel and swiftly disappeared from Vyse's view. Too impatient to wait for the lift to reach ground level, she jumped off halfway down. She ran to her room as fast as the winds could carry her. Her hasty actions were caught by none as she slammed the door behind her.

Aika let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding in the first place. She fell to her hands and knees. Her eyes were full of tears, yet they would not fall. She let out a choked sob caused by the image that kept repeating itself in her mind. The one who she loved above all things, Vyse, kissing another. It was just too much for her to handle. No monster or villain she faced before could have prepared her for that vision.

She cursed at herself, over and over. "I'm so stupid.", "I was too late.", "Why did I even think he'd wait for me?", "How could I ever hope to be more than Fina.", "I'm such an idiot.", "Why…why why?"

She shook her head violently to be rid of the image and her eyes scanned the room. Immediately diving for her bed she grabbed her pillow and removed it from its case. The rogue then began throwing clothes, weapons, small items, gold, and anything else she thought she needed for her future journey. She had to leave right then, there was no doubt about it. Knowing Vyse, she knew that he would want to talk to her as soon as she stepped out of her room. But, then again, she didn't expect his lips to be locked in a kiss with another. So how well did she know her Captain after all? Pushing her thoughts aside once again, she made her way out of the room and ran to a small boat that was tied to the post near the flagpole on Crescent Isle. It was now her turn to make a grand escape.

As the boat hovered freely on its own, she heard the distant cry of Vyse, begging for her to wait and return. Oh did she want to comply with his wishes and turn back. She desperately wanted to be comforted in his warm arms once more. But those images again flooded back and her decision to leave was set. Without a look back, she left the isle towards and unknown destination. Anywhere away from Vyse was good enough for her.

- - - -

"Aika! Wait! I...I can explain. Aika! You don't understand!" he called to her.

Vyse's shoulders dropped down as he accepted defeat for the first time. It wasn't a feeling that he particularly liked. He scolded himself and cursed to the highest heavens about his stupidity. How could he have let her go like that? Why could he not say anything? He knew deep down that he would have to go after her if he were to set things right.

His anger and frustration with himself caught up and he beat the ground with his fist. He yelled from the pain of the damage he had just inflicted on his hand. The sudden outburst shocked everyone at Crescent Isle. They stared quietly at their Captain as he rushed away towards his ship.

It was Fina who stopped him from boarding. The pleading look in her eyes halted his steps and he waited impatiently for what she had to say.

"Vyse, I...I'm sorry. I should never have..."

"No, you shouldn't have." He quickly cut in.

Wincing, Fina continued. "I know, I'm sorry Vyse, I really am, but...you shouldn't go after her right now.

"And why not? I need to find her and set things straight. You of all people should have known how I felt about her." He replied harshly.

The Silvite answered quietly. "Well, if I was in her position...I would want to be left alone right now."

"You're not her." Vyse answered angrily.

"I...know." she said softly, "I'm not...her."

Her weeping eyes lowered to the ground as she started to make her way towards her room. She was quickly stopped when she felt a hand tug on her arm.

"Wait, Fina...I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry." The Legendary Blue Rogue sighed and continued. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to wait a day. It might help cool things down, right?"

Fina let out a small smile and nodded. She then excused herself and headed towards her room.

Vyse walked up to the point of the island and stared out into the sky. A sigh escaped his lips and a grief-stricken expression crossed his face.

"I'm sorry Aika. I care for you...I really do."

He stayed there looking outwards with a hope that she would soon return. The day slowly passed and darkness soon blanketed the skies. Any hope that he had left of her return that night vanished as Vyse walked back to his room. He paused at the entrance to his room and stared at the door leading to Aika's. He walked up to her door and slowly opened it. He stepped in, shutting the door quietly behind him. Maybe she left some sort of note or clue to where she was heading off to that night he told himself, even though he just wanted an excuse to be surrounded by her in which ever way possible. He looked around the space and noticed that it looked like a small maelstrom hit it. Her drawers were hanging out and various objects were scattered along the floor.

Vyse sat down on her bed and stared at her pillow. He automatically reached into his left breast pocket and pulled out a small green heart-shaped moonstone. He always secretly knew that she kept it under her pillow. It always made him smile at the thought. But when he stepped out of the Meeting Room earlier that day, his eyes fell upon the present he had given her so long ago lying helplessly on the floor, it crushed him. It was like she discarded a piece of him along with it.

He had crafted it for her, and only her.

"_That was such a long time ago."_ He thought. "Why did I try waiting so long before I wanted to tell her how much she means to me?" he said quietly. Greif hit him strongly and he realized that He could not wait any longer without setting out to search for her. He put the stone back in his pocket and made his way towards his ship. For now, that stone would stay with him until she was back where she should be…in his arms.

----.o.O.o.----

Author's Ending Note – *smiles*

----.o.O.o.----


End file.
